Vacuum-cleaner.



J. B. KIRBY.

VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9,1917.

1,29%,473, Patented Feb.18,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET].

J. B. KIRBY.

VACUUM CLEANER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9,1911.

LQQQAYBB Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. Bx KIRBY.

VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9.1917.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

9. ?IIIIIIIII J B. m, 01? CLEVELAND, OHIO.

RAW-CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 9, 1917. Serial No. 173,704.

To all wiwm it may concern:

Be it known that 1, James B. KIBBY, a citizen of theUnited States,residjngatCleve land, in the county of Cuyahoga. and State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Vacuum-Cleaners, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings.

'1' his invention relatesto suction cleaners "and has for its object theprovision of a new and improved brushing mechanism in connection with adevice of this character; the provision of new, positive, improved, andsimplified means for driving said brushing mechanism; the provision of anew and improved construction and arrangement of the nozzle and brushchamber; the provision of new and improved means for supporting acountershaft; while further objects and advantages will appear as thedescription proceeds.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this application Ihave illustrated one form of construction wherein my invention may beembodied although it will be understood that the same is only one out ofmany by which the advantages of my invention may be secured. In thesedrawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved cleaner,the dust bag being omitted; Fig. 2 represents a vertical, central,longitudinal section through my cleaner and corresponding to the line 22of Fig. 4; Fig. 3 is a vertical, longitudinal, section corresponding tothe line 33 of Fig. 4; Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the cleanercasing; Fig. 5 represents a front elevation of the cleaner casing; Figs.6 and 7 are sectional views taken on the line 6-6 and 7-7 respectivelyof Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 8 is asectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 4 and loofing in thedirection of the arrows; Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 99of Fig. 5 and looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 10 is adetail view howing the mode of attaching the extension hose; and Fig. 11

is a perspective view of the extension-hose nipple.

'Describing the parts by reference characters, the casing of my improvedcleaner comprises a metal bottom part having a fan chamber 1 ofgenerally cylindrical shape having in its upper wall an axial opening 2in h ch is sec red the n k f a t r shell 4, preferably as described andclaimed 1n my Patent No. 1,209,720, dated December 26, 1916. The lowerwall of said fan chamber is formed by a fiat plate 5 having at itscentral part an inlet opening 6, and integral with this wall is a hollowhood 7 which overlaps and communicates with the aperture 6 and extendsforwardly from that point toward the forward side ofthe casing. Journaled in bearings 8-8 secured to the lower face of this hood is arock shaft 9 on which. are journaled the carrying wheels 10-10, saidshaft being of crank shape so that the wheels are arranged eccentricallyof said bearings. An arm 11 projects from this shaft and means areprovided for securing said arm at a plurality of adjusted positionswhereby the height of said casin can be regulated, as claimed in my@atent No. 1,209,718, dated December 26, 1916. Such means in thisembodiment comprise a slotted plate 12 through which said arm projects,one side of the slot being provided with notches 13. At a point removedfrom the bearings 8 the wall of the fan chamber is provided with abracket 14 to which is ournaled a single central roller 15; all of saidwheels being arranged as described and claimed in my Patent No.1,184,458, dated May 23, 1916. Also the said wheels and roller are Sodisposed that the fan chamber and motor are supported with their commonaxes tilted rearwardly as described and claimed in my copendingapplication filed October 30, 1916, Serial No. 128,385. An operatinghandle 18 is attached to the casing by means of a curved yoke 19 whosearms are pivoted to brackets 20 secured one at each side of the machine,preferably in front of the center of gravity as described and claimed inmy Patent No. 1,184,458, aforesaid, and one of said brackets preferablycomprises a spring arrangement 21 constructed and arranged to tend toelevate the forward portion of the cleaner when this handle isdepressed, as described and claimed inmy copending application filedSeptember 15, 1913, Serial No. 789,746. The fan chamber 1 communicateswith a tangentially arranged outlet passage 22 terminating in adischarge neck 23 adapted for the attachment of the usual dust bag (notshown).

Projecting forwardly and downwardly from the elevated forward part ofthe fan Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

chamber is the collecting nozzle 25 whosethe shirts 2929 which extendfrom points till (ill

on the sides of the cleaner casing just forward of the wheels illto meetthe ends of the nozzle. At points adjacent the end portions of thenozzle the lip 27 is carried by a web 31 integral with the forward wallor the nozzle and forming the roof of the inlet mouth; at the centralportion of the inlet the lip 27 is connected directly with asemi-cylindrical web 32 which merges with the wall of the hood 7, and inthis way the interior of the inlet mouth is placed in communication withthe fan chamber 1. lhe space defined between the skirts 29, 29 and atthe rear of the lip 27 constitutes an independent chamber which isutilized for the reception of the brushing mechanism next to bedescribed. The forward wall of the nozzle is provided with an aperture35 in alineinent with the hood 7 and adapted to receive eitheraremovablecap 36 for closing it or a hose connection tube extendinginto,

the hood and communicating directly with the inlet opening 6 asdescribed and claimed in my former Patent No, 1,184,459 granted May 23,1916. in this embodiment the connecting nipple consists of a hollowcircular body 37, adapted to fit into the aperture 35 and to restagainst the web 32 so as to close the passageway leading to the nozzle,and having a tubular portion 38 adapted for the reception of a flexibletube. A suitable thumb screw 39 secures the device in place by beinginserted in a threaded aperture formed in the web 32.

Secured inside the brush chamber are a pair of spaced plates 40, 40having their ends turned over as shown at 41, 41 to form forwardlyopeningnotches adapted to receive the bearing pins 42, 42 of a rotatablecylindrical brush 43 which is thereby supported parallel to the axis ofthe wheels l0, l0 and immediately at the rear of the lip 27. Thearrangement of the bearings 18 preferably such that the ends of thebristles are slightly below the lip 27 and slightly above the lip 26. Atits central point the brush body 43 is provided with a grooved pulley44-receiving the rubber belt 45 by which it is connected to a secondgrooved pulley 46 which is integral with a larger pulley 47. The twolast mentioned pulle s constitute, in eflect, a countershaft, and thepulley 47' is connected by a suitable belt 48 with a driving shaft 49connected directly to the motor shaft andprojecting axially through theapertiire 6 and through an opening in the wall of the hood 7. Theinterior of the pulley 47 is hollowed out as shown at. 50 for thereception of a supporting plate 51 to which is attached the stud 52 onwhich the countershaft is journaled, and this plate 51 is pivoted to thewall of the hood 7 at a point 53 eccentric to this stud. in thls way anequalization is efiected between the belts 45 and 48 so that the strainthereon is the same. Also by making the belt 45 of some elastic materialsuch as rubber, a constant tension is produced upon the belt 48 whichmay be made of a more lasting material such as leather which is bettersuited to withstand the high speed of the shaft 49, which in thecleaners ordinarily made and sold under my inventions approximatefifteen thousand revolutions per minute.

The arrangement above described occupies a minimum of space, which isnecessary because of the necessity of keeping the ma chine low so as toenable it to be operated beneath furniture and to prevent upsetting.Alsothe brush operating mechanism is entirely removed out of the airstream so that no clogging by dust and refuse is possible. The directionof twisting the belt- 45 is selected so that the brush 43 will throw thedust beneath the lip 27 and into the suction mouth where the rush of airwill pick it up and carry it away. lhe tension of the belt 45 retainsthe brush always in place in its bearings notwithstanding that thelatter consist merely of open hooks, while the removal of this beltpermits the ready removal of the brush for purposes of cleaning orreplacement. The cooperation of the wheels 10-10 and lip 26 prevent thesuction from elevating the floor covering to an extent suiiicient toengage the lip 27, so that communication always exists between the brushchamber and inlet mouth wherefore the body of the fabric is cleansed bythe air drawn therethrough while refuse adhering to the surface such aslint and thread is displaced by the brush operating in conjunction withthe air passing beneath the lip 27.

it will be apparent that changes in the shape, arrangement and relationof many of the parts of the cleaner can be made without departing fromthe scope of my invention or sacrificing the benefits secured thereby,wherefore I do not confine myself to the details of construction andarrangement herein described except as the same are recited specificallyin the claims hereto annexed or rendered necessary by the prior state ofthe art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. in a suctioncleaner, a casing having a Nil cylindrical fan chamber and a nozzle,said chamber having at one side an axial opening communicating with saidnozzle'and at the other side a motor whose shaft rojects axially intosaid chamber, said nozz e being deflected away from the axis of saidchamber and having a pair of spaced lips defining an elongated inletmouth, and a brushing device supported outside of said mouth a-djacentto one of said lips, said motor shaft being extended through the wall ofsaid nozzle and operatively connected to said brushing device.

2. In a suction cleaner, a casing having a fan chamber and a nozzle, asuction fan in said chamber having a shaft extending through the wall ofsaid nozzle, said nozzle having an inlet mouth located at one side ofsaid shaft, a rotary brush j ournaled between said mouth and shaft, andspeed reducing driving mechanism operatively connecting said shaft andbrush.

3. In a suction cleaner, a casing having a fan chamber and a nozzle, asuction fan in said chamber having a shaft extending through the wall ofsaid nozzle, said nozzle having an inlet mouth located at one side ofsaid shaft, a rotary brush journaled outside of said mouth, and acountershaft journaled to the exterior of said casing and operativelyconnected both to said brush and to said first shaft.

4:. In a suction cleaner, a casing having a fan chamber and a nozzle, asuction fan in said chamber having a shaft extending through the wall ofsaid nozzle, said nozzle having an inlet mouth located at one side ofsaid shaft, a rotary brush journaled between said mouth and shaft, acountershaft journaled to the exterior of said casingbetween said brushnd shaft, and belt connections between said shaft and counter-shaft andbetween said countershaft and brush.

5. In a suction cleaner, a. casing having a fan chamber and a nozzle, asuction fan in said chamber having a shaft extending through the wall ofsaid nozzle, said nozzle having an inlet mouth located at one side ofsaid shaft, a rotary brush journaled to said casing outside of saidmouth, a counters'haft journaled to the exterior of said casing betweensaid shaft and brush, said counters'haftbeing movable long the linebetween said brush and shaft, and belts connecting said countershaft tosaid brush and shaft respectively, one of said belts being elastic.

- 6. In a suction cleaner, a casing having a fan chamber and a nozzle, asuction fan in the said chamber having a shaft extending through thewall of said nozzle, said nozzle having an inlet mouth located at oneside of,

said shaft, a rotary brush journaled to the exterior of said nozzlebetween the said mouth and shaft, depending skirts carried by saidnozzle and inclosing the top .7 sides of said brush, and powertransmitting mechanism operatively connecting said brush and shaftexternally of said nozzle.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

JAMES B. KIRBY.

